The Internet provides a mechanism for merchants to offer a vast amount of products and services to consumers. Internet portals provide users an entrance and guide into the vast resources of the Internet. Typically, an Internet portal provides a range of search, email, news, shopping, chat, maps, finance, entertainment, and other Internet services and content. Yahoo, the assignee of the present invention, is an example of such an Internet portal.
When a user visits certain locations on the Internet (e.g., web sites), including an Internet portal, a system can capture the user's online activity. This information may be recorded and analyzed to determine patterns and interests of the user. In turn, these patterns and interests may be used to target the user to provide a more meaningful and rich experience. For example, if interests in certain products and services of the user are determined, content and advertisements, pertaining to those products and services, may be served to the user. Advertisements are usually provided by advertisers or marketers, who research and develop campaigns for the market. Content is typically provided by a network of publishers, often in conjunction with a portal provider. Recently much content on the Internet is generated, posted, edited and/or re-edited by users, for presentation to an audience of users.
Currently, advertising through computer networks such as the Internet is widely used along with advertising through other mediums, such as television, radio, or print. In particular, online advertising through the Internet provides a mechanism for merchants to offer advertisements for a vast amount of products and services to online users. In terms of marketing strategy, different online advertisements have different objectives depending on the user toward whom an advertisement is targeted, and the context of the advertisement.
Often, an advertiser will carry out an advertising campaign where a series of one or more advertisements are continually distributed over the Internet over a predetermined period of time. Advertisements in an advertising campaign are typically branding advertisements but may also include direct response or purchasing advertisements. A system that serves well targeted advertisements benefits both the advertiser/marketer, who provides a message to a target audience, and a user who receives advertisements in areas of interest to the user. Similarly, publishers and portals are benefited by increased relevance and/or traffic.